The warm late afternoon sun streamed into the small bedroom straight into her eyes causing Jun to roll onto her side. Thrusting herself up into a half sitting position and resting her head in the palm of her hand she observed her lover of almost six months as he lay there on his stomach sleeping soundly as a little baby.

The war with Galactor had ended, with Berg Katse's suicide and the loss of Joe. They grieved for him together. Ken's quietness in his grief actually allowed her to cry freely on his shoulder, she knew he cried for the loss of brother in private, but that was just Ken's way. Being together seemed to soften the blow of Joe's untimely death.

She wouldn't have anticipated the love affair between her and Ken could happen so easily and so fast. It just seemed so natural, like breathing for them, from the first time he held her that they would become lovers...Maybe that's because they had known each other for so long.

Smiling happily she watching him move slightly in his sleep, lying on his stomach he began murmuring softly under his breath she reached out and ran her fingers down his spine. His relaxed toned muscles flinching from her gentle touch making him smile lazily in his sleep.

"...My sweet Jun." He said drowsily. Lifting his head slightly off the pillow- a lock of dark brown messy hair fell into his eyes, gently she flicked it away so she could gaze into his intense blue eyes that softened instantly when she smiled.

"I love these afternoons with you Ken." She said affectionately moving so she could rest her head on his back letting her long hair fall softly around him.

"So do I...making love to you all afternoon like this is paradise." Ken turned on his side so he could look into eyes and touch her cheek with his hand. She nuzzled into his palm turning her face enough so she could kiss the soft skin inside of it.

Ken's eyes watched her filled with passion. "Can we stay here forever...?" The tenderness in his voice sent a warm tingling sensation through her whole being. "Why don't we Jun...stay in each others arms forever...I love you so much..." He whispered moving his hand behind the base of her head, weaving his fingers through her long locks he pulled her towards him. Capturing her lips his and drawing her back down onto the bed into his loving embrace, shifting his weight over her she allowed his to continue his caresses.

"I love you..." She breathed the words in between kisses. "I want to stay here too Ken...forever." She signed softly knowing she was due back at the Snack J soon. She'd promised Jinpei he could have the night off.

"How about you stay at my place tonight?" She murmured, while he began to work his way down her body again leaving hot wet kissed on her breasts.

"Sounds good to me...I'll get one mail run in and then..." He let the words hang, she moaned softly from the way his magical touch worked on her making her want him inside of her so much it hurt from the pleasure his touch promised to give.

* * * *

A few hours later standing in the Snack J not ever Jinpei's teasing could wipe the grin from her face.

"Sis you're spending so much time with Aniki these days I think you should move in with him." Jinpei's sly grin made her flick the tea towel in her at him playfully.

"We like it just the way it is at the moment." Jun said merrily, picking up another out of the dishwasher and wiping off the wet patches that always seemed to be left on them.

"Ryu will be here soon...it looks like a good night for fishing." Jinpei jumped over the counter at the sound of the Ryu's new van pulling up out the front of the Snack J.

In minutes the Owl walked through the door in his casual manner waving to her "Hi Jun! " he said just as Jinpei ran towards him almost knocking him over in his haste to get out of the Snack J for the night.

"Looks like were outta here." Ryu said looking at her apologetically.

"It's alright, Ken will be here soon." She said still beaming from the thought running through here head from the wonderful afternoon they had spent together. She began cleaning off the counter humming while some new customers walked through the door.

"Sis, try not to burn to much of the orders tonight..." Jinpei whispered. "Better still let Aniki cook..."

Jun rolled her eyes at Jinpei." Ken has to pay off his tab somehow..."

"I thought since you and Aniki are now-"Jinpei started to tease her again.

"Jinpei! That's none of your business." She chastised him while she finished cleaning the bench.

"Well sis since it's none of my business, when he stays over here for the night can you keep the noise down." Jinpei smirked. Jun felt the heat of deep blush rise to her cheeks.

Ryu shuffled his feet obviously embarrassed by the conversation. "Ahhh...Jin...the fish are waiting for us, so lets go, Bye Jun..."

"Bye Ryu...Bye Jinpei." She waved to them as they walked out the door letting bang shut behind them.

Ken walked in just after they walked out. "I see it's another night of fishing..." He said walking behind the counter and giving her a kiss on the cheek before going to fridge and helping himself to a soda. Ken rarely showed her a lot of affection in public, preferring to show it more in private.

"So where do you want me tonight..." Smiling as he looked out the back. "Since Jin's not here I guess I'm cooking."

Jun nodded winking at him while she picked up her order pad she headed out to the tables of patrons waiting for her to take their food and drink orders. The night looked promising from the amount of people spilling through the doors. The Snack had become popular since she had begun opening on a regular basis.

Jun got busy with taking orders. Ken got busy cooking, she found in the time since the war had finished that Ken could actually cook very well. Generally he chose not to, since he really didn't have a passion for it.

She hardly saw him all night, only to let him know new orders and take the ones he prepared out to her customers.

She knew she glowed when he was around- joking and laughing as they worked and they had fun working the bar and grill together on nights Jinpei decided he wanted time out to go fishing with Ryu.

At one point Jun pulled out her guitar when the orders had settled down, and there were fewer patrons to look after, Ken came out to front to serve drinks and she sang and played for the remaining customers. She could feel his eyes on her while she sang in her soprano voice, and she sang her all her love songs secretly just for him.

Finally the last customer walked out the door, Jun wanted to just put her feet up and relax but there were things that needed to be done before they could call it a night.

Ken cleaned the kitchen and she cleaned the dinner area of the snack J.

"Jun...lets call it a night." Ken said ducking his head out the door of the kitchen, she finally agreed after cleaning the last table and putting the chairs back in place.

Switching off the down lights to the restaurant area they made their way up the stairs to the loft.

Ken switched on the TV and put a DVD into the player and sat down on the couch inviting her to join him.

Relaxing into his arms Jun couldn't think of any place she'd rather be than right here and now, snuggled up close to him dozing while they watch a movie together. There wasn't a need for words- during the movie Ken tightened his arms around her, kissing the top of her head while she drifted off to sleep. Eventually she felt herself being picked up in his arms. He carried her to her bed, she felt him lay her down gently on the cool sheets, pulling off her shoes and jeans and then he cuddled up close drawing her into his embrace and they both drifted into a peaceful sleep...

* * * *

When Jun finally woke up the next morning Ken had already left, she felt the movement of the bed as he woke up at dawn, quietly putting his clothes and shoes he kissed her lightly before he left to return to the airfield to do the rest of his mail run.

A feeling of exhaustion washed over her as she sat up in bed. Yawning loudly, she couldn't fathom why she had been feeling tired when she woke up of a morning and at times throughout the day for the past week.

Ken had just said she'd been pushing herself too hard at the Snack J to make the most out of the busy period and the increasing business. That's when he had ordered her the previous day to have time off and spent it with him.

She looked at the time and forced her body to move out of the bed and into the shower. The warm rush of water woke her up more and she let the warmth seep into her tired body, eventually turning of the water she found a towel and dried her hair while she looked for something to wear.

A dilemma she hadn't face in years of the war when they wore their uniforms constantly so they could change into Birdstyle instantly.

Pulling out a pair of jeans and a simple white T-shirt and throwing them on Jun hurried downstairs to open up the Snack J to start the day's trade. Breakfast she could handle with the cooking, simple bacon and eggs and cereals on the menu made it easier for her to cook.

The bright crisp day outside tempted her to close up for the morning and get on her bike and take a packed lunch and ride along the coastal roads and enjoy the beautiful views just outside of Utoland city. Sighing she knew she had to make the most of the business, with winter coming and the university students coming in for breakfast before they started classes and then they left for holidays in a few weeks.

The morning went smoothly for her and the busyness made took her mind of the touch of nausea that came over her late in the morning. Now she knew she was working to hard. She remembered she had forgotten to eat breakfast, that's why she felt nauseous. Grabbing a bit of toast she quickly took a few bites out of it as Jinpei walked through the door.

"Good afternoon Sis..." He called out her while showing her his catch from the night before. "Ryu had things to do like catch up on sleep- he said he'd drop in later."

She looked at him while she stuffed the piece of toast into her mouth; hunger began replacing the nauseous feeling. She walked over and looked at the silvery fish sitting on her kitchen bench.

"How do you plan to cook them?" She asked him while he began to gut them.

"I dunno yet, would you and Aniki like to have them with me for dinner tonight? Ryu will be back then..." He looked at her expectantly how could she say no.

"Sure, I'll call Ken later and see if he's around." She went back to cooking another piece of toast.

"Sure he'll be around sis- every spare moment he has he spends it with you..." Jinpei winked teasingly but she could see her relationship with Ken made him happy. Jinpei always looked up to Ken.

"Not always, he likes to go flying too." She said while she buttered the toast and spread some honey onto it.

"That's when he calls you and asks if you want to come with him...as I said sis every chance he gets..." Jinpei said, he put the fish into the fridge and looked out the front of the Snack J.

"Sis, it looks like the lunch rush is starting." He indicated to the people walking through the door.

"It looks like your right..." Once again she picked up her order book and headed out to serve the new patrons sitting at the tables.

* * * *

Ken and Ryu arrived at the same time very late in the afternoon, Jun and Jinpei had chosen to close the Bar and Grill for a few hours before the next rush so they could all enjoy sometime together. The three of them waited for Jinpei to cook up the catch from the previous nights fishing trip.

"Lemon pepper in light crumb with salad." Chef Swallow announced proudly bringing out the freshly cooked fish on a tray.

Jun opened up a bottle of white wine and filled the three glasses, pouring lemonade into Jinpei's wine glass.

The smell of the fish suddenly made her feel off again, Jun pushed the feeling aside and decided she needed to make time to eat more since she skipped lunch that day.

She picked at her fish trying to make herself eat it. Jinpei looked at her disappointment in his young eyes. "Sis...you're not hungry?"

"Oh, I ate a big lunch." She lied, flippantly trying to make it look like she had an appetite for the fish and salad. Jinpei loved to share his catch with her, and usually she praised him on catching such a big fish, the last thing she wanted was a sulky Swallow for days on end.

Ken raised an eyebrow but he didn't say anything, Ryu was too busy picking out the fish bones to notice.

Ken watched her from across the table. "Jun... why don't you close for the night?"

"I can't Ken...the business is doing so well." She looked over at her brother.

Jinpei agreed. "It's the first time we're actually making money Aniki."

"In the last six months neither of you have had any real time off." Ken pointed out.

"Yeah," Ryu agreed looking at Jinpei."I have ta drag you away from here."

"Jun...would you like to have a few days...We can take a short holiday." He suggested casually. She knew he had something in mind.

"Go ahead Sis...We didn't win the war to not have time to enjoy our freedom." Jinpei pointed out.

Jun knew he was right.

"Yes Ken...so where are we going?" she asked moving in closer to him.

"That's a surprise." He grinned putting an arm around her waist and pulling her in closer to him. "Just make sure you pack that red bikini."

Jun felt the warm of his affection flow into her, smiling she agreed, tomorrow morning the Snack J would close for a few days for the first time in months.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, including but not limited to Sandy Frank Film Syndication Inc., Saban Entertainment, Hearst Entertainment, Turner Program Services and/or Tatsunoko Production Co., LTD. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.